To Which Future Do You Return, Kagome?
by Tate Icasa
Summary: Kagome's returning to her era, this time for good, but when she gets there, she realizes that it may not have been the best choice. . .HIATUS
1. The Future As It Shouldn't Be

To Which Future Do You Return, Kagome?

By. Tate Icasa

Part One

The Future As It Shouldn't Be

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Kagome, or any of the other original characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sama, not me. Don't sue.

A/N: Ok, Inuyasha said something really stupid about Kagome going back to her own time for good, one time too many, so she decides to take his advice.

"Kagome, wait!" Inuyasha shouted.

"No! I'm going back there whether you like it or not!"

"Kagome, I didn't mean-"

"I don't care!" She said, suddenly turning. She thrust the vial of Jewel Fragments at him. "Goodbye!"

He grabbed her arm to stop her and began to drag her away from the well.

"Unhand me, Inuyasha!"

He ignored her.

"Sit!" Thud! "Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!" When she was satisfied that he wasn't going to try and stop her she slung her bag down into the well and jumped down after it.

"Wow." Shippo observed, hopping onto Inuyasha's back. "You sure made her mad. Maybe you should go after her."

Inuyasha stood, knocking the young Kitsune to the ground. "Feh. She'd 'sit' me a dozen times before I got out of the well. Stupid girl, she'll be back in a couple of days anyway."

"Are you sure? She looked _really_ mad."

"She'll come back." Inuyasha said again. He leapt up into a tree.

Kagome sat down hard in the bottom of the well and began crying softly.

_/I can send you back./_ Said a voice in her head.

_What? No!_

_/Are you certain/_

_Yes._

_/As you wish, Kagome Higurashi./_

She heard a sound above her.

"Sota?" She called. "Grandpa?"

A head poked over the side of the well, but it was not what she expected.

"Jaken!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"It is _you!_" he said, sounding just as surprised.

"What are you doing in my time, toad?" she asked, standing up defensively.

But Jaken was gone, muttering excitedly to himself.

Kagome looked around and realized that there was no way out of the well. After a few moments she heard footsteps.

"Who's there!"

"-and I'm sure that it's her my Lord-"

"Jaken." said a cool, calm voice, effectively silencing the toad. A silver-haired head appeared over the well.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome gasped.

"The human girl who used to follow my brother around." Sesshomaru said. "Who would have thought that you actually _did_ return to your own time."

"What are you talking about?" She demanded. "And why are you in my time?"

Something dropped down into the well. After a second or two her mind registered that it was a rope, and she climbed out of the well.

She looked around her. There was no Shrine, only the same forest she had just left, only it was much larger.

"What? This isn't my time!"

"You lived 500 years after the Jewel was shattered." Sesshomaru stated. "This is indeed your time. It is simply not the one you left."

She blinked. "What does that mean?" She asked warily.

He turned and began to walk away, Jaken scurrying to follow.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"If you do not wish to die, follow me and be silent."

_Is he kidnaping me?_ She wondered. _Oh well, maybe this way I can get some answers._

She frowned slightly and trailed after Sesshomaru.

After a long while they arrived at a large castle.

_What is this place?_ She wondered. She opened her mouth to ask and snapped it shut again, remembering Sesshomaru's command to be silent.

Jaken fumbled a bit with the crank, as it was taller than he was, but slowly, the large wooden drawbridge lowered.

Sesshomaru walked across it and into the castle, and Jaken and Kagome followed.

"Now we may speak without being overheard."

"Good." She said impatiently. "Now, are you going to tell me what happened to the world?" She shrieked.

"You have a very shrill voice." He observed.

"Well good!" She shrieked again. Something hard hit her shin. She jumped, with a slight yelp at the sudden pain.

"That is no way to speak to Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken berated her, holding the Staff of Two-Heads in his hands.

"You little toad. . ." Kagome began.

"Jaken. Give me the Staff."

"B-but my lord-"

"Now, Jaken."

Jaken sullenly handed over the Staff, and was rewarded immediately by a bonk on the head with it.

Sesshomaru turned his attention back to Kagome.

"What happened to the world?" She asked again, as calmly as she could manage. "Who did this?"

Sesshomaru regarded her levelly for a moment. "You did."


	2. The Days When History Changed

To Which Future Do You Return, Kagome?

By. Tate Icasa

Part Two

The Days When History Changed

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Kagome, or any of the other original characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi-sama, not me. Don't sue.

There was a moment of silence.

"What?" Kagome shrieked. "Whadda you mean _I_ caused this?"

Sesshomaru sighed. "It began the day you left and never returned."

"I don't understand." Kagome said, confused. "How'd that change the future so much? And why are you still here? I thought all the youkai were banished."

"In this timeline, we were not."

"Well, why on earth not?"

"You were not there to banish us."

She blinked. "Ok, why don't you start at the begining?" She suggested. "And try not to confuse me too much."

Jaken scowled. _How _dare_ this human child address Lord Sesshomaru in such a disrespectful manner! And why does Lord Sesshomaru allow it? _As he pondered this, he realized that his Master had told him to leave.

"But, Lord Sesshomaru!" he studdered.

Sesshomaru shot him an icy glare, which sent the toad fleeing from the room. "The begining." he said.

**Flashback**

"_I thought you said Kagome'd come back!" Shippos whined, running in cuarcles around the half-sleeping Inuyasha._

_Inuyasha opened one eye and grabbed the little Kitsune by the back of his neck._

"_Hey! Lemme go!" Shipp yelled, waving his arms and legs around._

_Inuyasha was happy to oblige, dropping the poor fix-demon on his head._

"_Oww!" Shippo whined. "I just wanted to know when Kagome was coming back!"_

"_Well don't ask me." Inuyasha growled. "I have no idea when she's planning on returning."_

"_I don't think she's coming back." Shippo said._

"_Feh! Of course she's coming back! She always comes back, baka!"_

"_What if she can't?" Shippo asked after a minute._

"_What?" he asked, sitting up all the way. "Why wouldn't she be able to?"_

"_Maybe she didn't take a Jewel Shard with her."_

_Inuyasha took out the vial of Jewel Shards and emptied them into his hand, counting as he did so. "Damn!" he said, replacing them all. He stood up suddenly._

"_Are you going to the well?" Shippo asked. "Can I come?"_

"_No. Go back to the village and tell the others where I've gone!" he called, already disappearing from sight._

**End Flashback**

**Flashback**

_Inuyasha leaned over the well, preparing himself for his trip to Kagome's time. So intent was he on his own thoughts that his sensitive ears didn't pick up the strange sound until it was too late. He spun, cursing himself for not noticing sooner. The second he turned, Sesshomaru's sword went into his heart._

_He gasped, his hand instantly going to the hilt at his side, but it trembled. He drew the Tetsusaiga as best he could, but he was too weak. It fell from his grasp, as Sesshomaru cut his heart out. He took the heart in his hand after sheathing his sword. He felt it pulse, one last time, before he crushed it, as look of perverse fascination on his face. Inuyasha's heart stopped beating. Forever._

_Sesshomaru, using Inuyasha's blood as a glove, picked up the fallen sword and disappeared._

_Shippo, Sango, and Miroku entered the clearing then._

"_Inuyasha!" Sango gasped._

_Inuyasha drew one last shuddering breath, and said his last words shakily, but clearly._

"_I'm. . .sorry. . .ka. . .gome. . ."_

_There was a moment of stunned silence. Then, Miroku reached out tenatively and closed Inuyasha's eyes._

"_W-we should go t-tell Kagome." Shippo said, taking the vial of Jewel Shards from Inuyasha's kimono._

_Miroku nodded. One by one, they dropped into the well and disappeared._

**End Flashback**

"With none of you left to stop him, Naraku easily gathered the remaining Shards. Within a year, he gathered a large army."

Kagome wiped her damp face. She was _crying_ for him! For Inuyasha!

"S-so why bring me here?" she asked, when she'd recovered her composure. "Why not just kill me?"

"I've brought you hear at the request of another, whom wishes to meet with both of us, and your friends."

"Which other?"

Sesshomaru didn't seem to acknowledge her question. "She says she has a plan to be rid of Naraku. In fact, she says he's her responsibility. Perhaps you've met her?" he suggested.

"Kikyo." Kagome said, her mouth going dry.


	3. Bottom Of The Well

To Which Future Do You Return, Kagome?

By. Tate Icasa

Part Three

Bottom of the Well

"Yes." Sesshomaru said.

"So, why'd you, the great Lord Sesshomaru, agree to meet with Kikyo?" she asked. "I can't believe that _you_'d give in to a mere human."

Kagome shuddered at his piercing amber gaze. "Mere human that she may have been, I find it. . . unwise, the anger the spirits of the dead."

Kagome winced. Seshomaru knew perfectly well that most of Kikyo's spirit remained inside her!

"So, now what?" She asked, still slightly shocked.

"Jaken has prepared a room for you. You will be locked in for three day. Jaken will bring you food and drink. At the end of three days, you will be let out of the room and accompany me to Bone Eaters Well, where we will meet your frineds. Then we will go meet Kikyo."

Kagome opened her mouth to protest.

"That is what you will do, or I will kill you and you can meet Kikyo that way."

Kagome frowned, but didn't protest.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru said. "Come."

The toad creature hurried into the room, bowing. "Yes, my lord?"

"Jaken, escort the girl to the room prepared for her."

"The girl?" Kagome repeated angrily, the strain of everything that had happened to her over the last two hours clouding her judgement. "The _girl?_ I have a name, and its Kagome! _Kagome!_"

"M-my lord," Jaken sputtered. "Surely you aren't going to just let her say such things to her! Let me hit her with the staff, my lord, just once!"

Sesshomaru sighed. "Very well." he said, handing the staff to Jaken.

Jaken took it happily. (We all know that if Sesshomaru is letting Jaken have his own way, there's something wrong with his way, ne?)

"Just try it, toad." Kagome said, glowering.

Jaken went to hit her with the staff, but her foot connected with his stomach first, knocking the staff from his hands. She picked it up instantly and batted him against a wall. Then she used it to lift him into the air and pin him to the wall by the neck. He struggled, but that didn't help much. "Lord Sesshomaru!" he wailed.

Sesshomaru regarded the two lesser beings steadily. "Kagome." he said, his hand on one of his sword hilts.

Kagome tossed the staff to the ground next the Sesshomaru, and poor Jaken fell straight to the ground.

Sesshomaru bent and retrieved the staff. "Jaken, I believe that I will be holding onto the staff for a while."

"But, my lord!" Jaken began, and stopped short, realizing that he was still standing between his cold master and that angry human girl. "Yes, my lord!" he gulped, bowing.

"Now, escort the Lady Kagome to her room."

"The Lady Kagome." Kagome repeated. "I think I like the sound of that."

"Come, _Lady_ Kagome." Jaken said, spitting the word like a curse.

She glowered at him and he eeped and hurried to lead her to the room.

It was actually a nice room. There was a real bed, and a window, looking out onto a garden.

She sighed.

True to his word, food and drink were delivered by Jaken, who appeared to still hold a grudge against her for nearly killing him. She had tried to befriend the poor little toad on her second day, but the result had been. . .less that hopeful. In fact, it had ended with his threating to poison her if she said another word to him. (Of course, it was just his luck that Sesshomaru was standing right behind him as he said this. grins.)

On the third day, Sesshomaru came to get her. Jaken stayed behind at the castle while they traveled to the Bone Eaters Well.

They traveled in silence until they were nearly at the well.

Kagome surprised herself, even, by asking, "What happened to Inuyasha's bones? I know demon bones don't deteriorate like human bones do, but he was only a han'yo, so did they deteriorate or what?"

"I had them removed." he replied.

She waited for him to explain, and when he didn't she asked, "Why?"

"I did not believe it would be a good first sight for you when you arrived. You might not have come willingly."

"So where are they?" she asked curiously.

"In your closet."

She shuddered. _I_ really_ shouldn't have asked that!_

They traveled the rest of the way in silence, and were still silent when Sango, Miroku, and Shippo appeared in the bottom of the well.

"Damn!" she heard Mirok say, probably noticing that they couldn't get out. Then she heard a loud Slap! and Shippo calling Miroku an idiot. Typical.

"Hey!" Shippo said suddenly. "I can see the sky. I thought Kagome said the well was in building in her time!"

_Why didn't I notice that when I first came through?_

"First, we have to get out of here." Said Sango. "Then worry about why the well isn't inside a building."

Kagome peered down the well.

"Kagome-san!" Shippo yelled happily, looking up.

She grinned. "Hey, Shippo-chan."

"Where'd the sudden -chan come from?" he asked.

"Why, from the same place as that sudden -san." She called down.

Shippo grinned. "Can you get us out of here?"

"If you promise to ask questiong _first_ and attack later."

"What does that mean?" Miroku asked.

"I believe she means do not attack me until you know why I am here." Sesshomaru said, just loudly enough for them all the hear.

"Was that Sesshomaru's voice I just heard?" Miroku asked.

"Yes." Sesshomaru answered.

"Why are you hanging around _him_?" Shippo asked, wrinkling his nose.

She smiled. "Because Inuyasha's dead, and you weren't here yet, and Kikyo wants to see us all."

"Kikyo!" Miroku exclaimed. "Why would she want to see us?"

"Well," Kagome said, "It has something to do with Naraku, and the nearly complete Shikon no Tama he has."

"Ok, we aren't going to attack." Shippo cut in. "Can you get us out of here?"

"Oh, sure." Kagome said sheepishly, lower the rope into the well.

Sesshomaru stood as the three climbed out of the well. He turned and began to walk. Kagome stared at his incredulously.

"You could wait five minutes for us to exchange proper greetings!" She called after him. He didn't turn back, or even _look_ back, but he stopped.

Sango was the first to embrace her.

"Hey." she whispered. "Why're you crying?"

Kagome wiped a tear away." I wasn't sure if I was ever going to see you again. Any of you." She pulled away from Sango and looked warily at Miroku. "Is it safe for me to hug you?"

He held up his right hand. "I swear on my honor as a monk that I won't try anything."

Kagome grinned. "What honor?" she teased, embracing him.

"Exactly." he said, grinning. Slap! Bonk!

Kagome grinned at Sango, who still held the boomerang over the groggy monks head. Miroku sighed.

Shippo jummped up into Kagome's arms.

"Kagome!" he said happily.

"Shippo-chan." she said fondly. He hurriedly climbed onto her shoulder and rubbed his soft head against her cheek.

"If you are done greeting each other?" Sesshomaru suggested.

"Spoil sport." She muttered.

He began to walk again.

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku had to run to catch up to him, Shippo riding on Kagome's shoulder.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Kagome asked.

"To the God-Tree." Sesshomaru said, never even blinking.

"Why didn't you bring Jaken along?" She asked curiously. Surely it wasn't out of regard for the toad's safety!

"As amusing as it is to watch you beat my servant, Kikyo requested that he be excluded."

"So _that's_ why you sent him away before!"

"Perhaps you should finish your interrogation of me, and begin your explaination to your friends." he suggested.

She grinned sheepishly and began to explain everything that had happed over the last few days.

They stopped walking when they stood beneath the God-Tree.

Kagome hurriedly finished her explaination and fell silent.

"I don't like this place." Shippo complained. "I can't transform!"

"I can't sense the Jewel Shards any more." Kagome said.

Miroku removed the prayer bead from around his hand. Nothing happened. He frowned and looked around. "How about you, Sesshomaru? Do your powers work?"

"That is no concern of yours."

_/ That means no. / _said a voice in thier heads. _/ This was the strongest warding spell I could find. It should block any and all magic. /_

"Did everyone hear that?" Shippo asked anxiously.

They all nodded slowly.

"Kikyo? Where are you?"

_/ That is unimportant. What is important is that you all make the right choices from now on. /_

Kagome gasped. "You spoke to me once before!" She exclaimed. "In the well when I first arrived!"


	4. Kikyo's Secret

To Which Future Do You Return, Kagome?

By. Tate Icasa

Part Four

Kikyo's Secret

_/ Yes. /_ Kikyo said. _/ I offered you the change to return to Inuyasha./_

"And I chose to stay here." Kagome said.

"Someone tell me why we're here." Miroku said.

_/ I was getting to that. / _Kikyo said, sounding slightly unhappy. _/ Naraku has most of the Shikon no Tama. And both of those are my responsiblility. /_

Kagome cleared her throat. "I thought the Jewel was _my _responsiblity now. You died, remember?"

_/ sigh It's not a very easy thing to forget. /_

Kagome looked sheepish. _I knew that._

_/ In any case, do you know what the Shikon no Tama is capable of//_

Kagome blinked, surprised, as she realized that she really didn't know. She shook her head.

_/ Then here is what you will use it for. Bring Inuyasha back to life, turn him full human, then banish all the demons, and destroy the duplicate of the jewel. /_

"Any idea how big a paradox that would cause?" Kagome asked. "Besides, how would we get the Jewel if Naraku has it?"

_/ Do not worry so, my dear reincarnation. /_

"Reincarnation! I'll show you 'reincarnation' you-" she stopped. " I have a name! It's-"

"Kagome." Sesshomaru said.

"What?" She answered irritably.

"Kagome. That is your name."

Kagome blinked.

"I believe Kikyo was going to tell us her plan?" Miroku suggested.

_/ Thank you, monk. For a long time now, when I have had a physical form, I have been carrying a child that Naraku believes his his. /_

"What!" Miroku exclaimed. "_Naraku_ has better luck with girls than I do!"

Sango hit him on the head with her boomerang. "Shut up and listen to the plan, baka." she ordered.

"You dind't have to hit me!" Miroku complained.

"I'll hit you again if you don't shut up!" Sango warned.

Miroku raised his hands in surrender.

_/ I said Naraku _believes_ the child is his! Not that it was//_

"So who's is it?"

_/ That doesn't matter. The child will be born within three days. I request asylum at Sesshomaru's castle until the child is born. Then, Shippo-chan will- /_

"Hey! Only Kagome can call me Shippo-chan!"

Kagome shook her head. "You were saying?"

_/ Then, _Shippo_ will transform into the child and slip into Naraku's house. Late at night, once Naraku is asleep, he will steal the Jewel and slip away. At which point I will enter with the real child and try to keep Naraku distracted until you can go through the well. /_

"What if you can't?"

_/ Then we are all doomed. But I will not fail. /_

"No." Sesshomaru said flatly.

"Whadda you mean 'no'?" Kagome asked.

"No." He repeated. "I will not assist you when this quest so clearly leads to my own destruction."

_/ Baka! I said _banish_ not _destroyKikyo snapped.

"Sesshomaru, I believe you said something earlier about it being unwise to anger the spirits of the dead?" Kagome said sweetly. "I can think of ot leat one spirit you'd be angering. Possibly two. Kikyo, where's Inuyasha's spirit?"

_/ His spirit sleeps near his body. Though. . .it can be woken. . . /_

"Fine." Sesshomru said. He stood and began to walk away.

"Where are you going!" Kagome called after him. He didn't answer.

_/ I have a feeling forcing his hand was not the best idea. /_ Kikyo stated.

Shippo rolled his eyes. "Hey, shouldn't we get to that castle you mentioned?"

"Oh, right!"

_/ I will meet you at the gate. /_

The four looked at each other.

"Does anybody else get the feeling there's something she's not telling us?" Miroku asked.

Kagome nodded. "I guess there's no use worrying about it now." She said. "Come on, we'll probably find out if we go along with her, anyway."

She began to lead them to the castle.


	5. That Which Remains

To Which Future Do You Return, Kagome?

By. Tate Icasa

Part Five

That Which Remains

Kagome stopped short at the drawbridge.

There stood Kikyo, looking very pregnant and holding a struggling Jaken by the neck. The toad was rapidly changing from his usual ugly green color to a very interesting shade of blue.

"Kikyo! Don't kill him!" Kagome yelled.

Kikyo turned her head and released Jaken.

"This imp refuses to allow me passage into the castle." Kikyo stated.

Jaken said nothing, still gasping for breath.

Kagome moved a few feet away and released the lock on the crank and began to lower the drawbridge.

"Hey! Girl! Get away from there!" Jaken sputtered angrily.

"Fine." Kagome said, stepping back from the crank.

Jaken yelped as the bridge fell, catching on of his legs underneath.

Kagome smiled. "Now, Jaken." She berated. "I've told you my name a dozen times now, and some manners wouldn't hurt either."

Jaken seethed. "_Lady Kagome, would you please remove this bridge from my foot?" _He spat.

"There, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" She asked, raising the bridge high enough for him to get his foot out.

Without looking at him again, Kagome crossed the bridge, followed by Sango and Miroku (helping Kikyo), a very bouncy Shippo, and an angry, muttering and limping Jaken.

"Kagome, do you know where we're going?" Kikyo asked.

"Sure." Kagome said. She opened the door. Inside was the single bed and the window looking over the garden.

Shippo started running around the room excitedly, poking his head into everything.

Kagome watched him with a smile until he reached a door near the other end of the room.

"No, Shippo!" She yelled, reaching out a hand as if to stop him. He turned, but it was too late, his hand had already knocked the door open.

Kagome gasped. Sitting on the ground inside the closet was the skeleton on a man. But not just any man. A man with dog ears atop his head, and sitting atop a next of silver white hair. There was blood stained, yet otherwise perfectly reserved red Kimon wrapped around it's shoulders, but all other traces of clothing had disintigrated hundreds of years ago. It's claws were blood stained, it's pointed teeth were not.

Shippo jumped about a foot into the air and ran to hide behind Kagome's legs.

Kikyo had managed to get to the bed herself, and was, at this point, lying down with her eyes closed.

Kagome was surprised to realize that, while the sight of Inuyasha's bones dismayed her, she felt no repulsion. In fact, she felt nearly nothing. There were no tears n her eyes, as there were in her friends. It was, she decided, because she knew, somehow, that this was wrong, and she could change it.

Before she know what was happening, she had crossed the room and was kneeling beside the bones. None of the others said anything, they just let her sit there in silence. She slipped into a trance-like state, and the next thing she knew Sango had grabbed her wrists to stop them from moving.

"What?" She asked.

Sango looked down at Kagomes hands.

Kagome followed her gaze. Her hands, now still, were sitting upon a silver-white piece of cloth, she had unknowingly woven Inuyasha's hair into something.

Sango released her hands. Kagome lifted the object into the air. It was a kimono she realized. Then she looked around. It was dark outside, the stars and moon were the only light. Kikyo slept on the bed, each of the others scattered on the floor. She and Sango were the only ones awake.

She looked around her, and realized that she'd done more than just weave a kimono. Each of her arrows had one of his claws tied to the tip by a strand of his hair. Her bowstring had also been replace.

She picked up one of the arrows and began to untie the claw, but something made her stop. She glanced up.

"He'd want you to keep it." Sango whispered.

"That way it'd be like we was still protecting me." She put the arrows in her quiver, and set that and the bow against the wall.

Sango took the Kimono and wrapped it around Kagome's shoulders.

"You should sleep." She whispered.

Kagome nodded sleepily and lay down. Then she sat up again.

"Now what?" Sango asked.

Kagome shook her head and closed the closet door. Then she set her head down on the ground and closed her eyes.

Most people would have been bothered, sleeping so close to a corse.

All it did for Kagome was assure her that somewhere very near, Inuyasha's spirit slept.


	6. A Child Is Born

To Which Future Do You Return, Kagome?

By. Tate Icasa

Part Six

A Child Is Born

Kagome woke the next morning to loud screams. She sat up quickly.

Shippo hopped up onto her shoulder.

"Kagome, why's Kikyo screamimng? Tell her to stop, it's hurting my ears!" he whined.

Kagome stood up and rushed over to the others. She handed Shippo to Miroku.

"Take Shippo and get out." She said firmly.

"What? Why?" Miroku asked.

"Because you don't need to be here and Shippo is too young." she said reasonably.

"But, Kagome . . ." he began.

"OUT!" Kaomge snapped, pointing to the door. "NOW!"

Shippo jumped and ran to the door. "Come on, Miroku, don't make her mad!" he said, disappearing.

Miroku sighed and left the room.

A few minutes, and several loud screams later, the piercing wail of a newborn child cut into his dreams about the lovely Lady Sango.

"Miroku! Fetch me a wet cloth!" Kagome called.

"A wet cloth? Where am I going to find a wet cloth?"

"Never mind then!" Kagome snapped. For a while there was nothing except some rustling and the baby's screams, which eventually quieted down. Then, "Ok, you guys can come back in down."

Miroku did. He found a very tired looking Kikyo sitting on the bed, wrapped up in Inuyasha's red kimono. In her arms was a tiny black-haired baby, wrapped in what must have been one of Kagome's extra skirts. A blood covered shirt lay on the ground by her feet.

Kagome and Sango, both with blood on their hands stood a few feet of. Kagome looking paler that usual, and Sango just looked tired.

Kikyo smiled slightly, looking down at the child.

"Can I see?" Shippo asked, jumping up and down in front of her.

Kikyo laughed softly. "Of course." She held the baby out to Shippo.

"I gotta transform into that?" he asked curiously. Then, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Girl." Kikyo said. She looked at him thoughtfully. "Would you like to hold her?"

Shippo smiled and nodded eagerly. Neither her nor Miroku noticed when Kikyo snet the girls away to clean up. Soon enough, the baby fell asleep. Kikyo accepted her back then, and went back to sleep.

Miroku leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, but Shippo was too excited to sleep. He stuck his head into Kagome's backpack and began pulling things out.

That was how Kagome found him.

"Shippo."

He shuffled his feet.

"Shouldn't you practice transforming into the baby?"

"Yeah. . ."

Later that day, after Kikyo had woken, Jaken came in, carrying a large tray with five plates of food on it. He set it one the ground and began to walk away.

"Jaken?" Kagome said, looking up from the arrow she was sharpening. "Would you tell Sesshomaru that we require an audience with him as soon as he is able?"

Jaken sputtered. "Lord Sesshomaru will see you when _he_ wishes. . ."

By this point, Kagome was standing, and was as a result, sever feet taller and still holding a rather sharp arrow. Jaken gulped, realizing this, and took a step back.

". . .but I shall relay your message to him."

"That will not be neccessary." Said Sesshomaru, appearing behind him.

"M-my Lord!" Jakend exclaimed. "I was. . ."

"I do not particularly care." Sesshomaru interrupted. "You will leave us now."

The toad scurried to obey.

No one moved toward the food. Kagome abruptyl realized that she was still hldint he arrow. She grinned sheepishly (a/n: how many times have I used that expression, it's getting on my nerves) and quickly hid it behind her back.

"Come." Sesshomaru said, turning. They hurried to follow, Kikyo holding the child to her.

Sesshomaru led them out of the castle. He pointed to a point far in the distance. "You will find Naraku there." He began to walk back into the castle.

"Wait, you're not coming?" Kagome asked.

"No." He said, not even bothering to stop.

"Come on." Shippo said after Sesshomaru had disappeared. "Let's go."

A light breeze blew by them and Kagome pulled the silver-white kimono closer to her. She nodded and began to walk.

(Tate: I lost my plot line! Waaaaaaaaah! Help me, my dear reviewers! I need ideas! (I am _not_ begging for reviews, I just need help. . )


End file.
